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Founded in a Boston dormroom

More attacks on Boykins

Last night, I came across this advertisement for the Georgia Provost for District D campaign on my telephone. The over-the-top display really goes all out against frontrunner Dwight Boykins.

The astute will remember twoattacks focused on Boykins over the summer, largely criticizing the candidate for voting once in a Republican primary and sometimes giving meager sums of money to unopposed, incumbent Republican officeholders. The two perceived transgressions were enough to label Boykins as a “Republican.” The dirty tactics, which were condoned by multiple minor candidates, featured imagery of Boykins photoshopped next to prominent Republican politicians.

Now it appears that Georgia Provost, Boykins’ opponent in the December runoff, has given into these unsubstantiated attacks.

Provost’s ad uses the word “Democrat” twice, first immediately following her name and second in a triumphantly exclaimed “Democrats support Georgia Provost.” Additionally, a prominently displayed picture of President Obama is included, immediately above the aforementioned line touting Democratic support. No doubt a jab at the attacks of Boykins being a Republican, though far more subtle, these tactics attempts to paint Provost as the sincere Democrat in the race.

Finally, Provost’s tagline below the picture is “Give District D The FIRST [emphasis added] Chance It Deserves…” This, of course, is a thinly-veiled insult of Boykins’ “Second Chance program,” which is designed to help solve issues of crime and joblessness. In one foul swoop, Provost has managed to truly hit all the bases of attacking her opponent.

As I have discussed at length previously, the allegations that Dwight Boykins is a Republican are simply untrue. One is often able to tell a politician’s true partisan colors by the company he or she keeps. Boykins’ biggest supporters are tried and true Democrats in the African-American community such as Lee Brown and Jew Don Boney. Say what you will about Boykins, but he is a true Democrat.

The criticism of the “Second Chance program,” however is less controversial and is not at all unexpected. I heard a certain candidate last month during early voting heckling the structural unsoundness of Boykins’ yard-signs at the location. As the signs kept coming down, the candidate loudly and sarcastically yelled to “give them a second chance.” Given the high unemployment of the district, including many law-abiding and peaceful people, there is a certain level of controversial surrounding the idea of doling out jobs to ex-cons.

But Boykins has defended his brainchild ad nauseum, and in my opinion, done a pretty swell job of it. If Provost has any major policy solutions of her own, I would love to hear them. Otherwise, this brand of campaigning is beneath her. The residents of District D deserve better.